What an ending....May contain mild spoilers for the first book in the series - Aftertime. If you haven't read Aftertime, what are you waiting for?When I finished reading Aftertime, I was left with a sense of hope. Cass, Ruthie, and Smoke were a family. The world was beginning to show signs of Rebirth: young seedlings were starting to sprout. Good things don’t last too long in this world that was destroyed by biological warfare and a disease that turned most of the population into flesh eating Beaters or zombies. Smoke leaves on a mission of vengeance without saying goodbye to Cass. Dor hears that the Rebuilders have attacked the Library settlement and they have taken his teenage daughter Sammi. Dor sets out on his own mission to rescue Sammi. Cass, heartbroken by Smoke’s departure, accompanies Dor on her own mission – to find Smoke. Humanity has changed for the worse. The Rebuilders are a prime example of a cult-like totalitarian regime that forced its citizens to comply with their philosophy. When their sinister agenda was revealed, I was disgusted. All the main characters in this book are damaged in some way. Smoke has a secret that he revealed only to Dor. Dor also has his issues. Cass brought a lot of baggage from her life Before. She was a recovering alcoholic and had been sexually abused by her stepfather. I was a little disappointed by Cass in this book, although I believe that she was portrayed accurately by the author. Cass has this ability to do anything that is necessary in order to achieve her goals. It seems to work for her, but it made me wonder about her morality. The story is well paced and there are many exciting situations, as well as a few explosions. If you like post-apocalyptic books, add this series to your reading list.Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
